Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor

Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor – NDIR Measurement of Dissolved CO₂ in Bioreactors

The Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor measures dissolved CO₂ directly in the bioreactor using non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) optics, with the built-in Arc transmitter and ModBus communication delivering sensor data straight to the bioprocess controller — no external transmitter box, no analog signal conversion. Five insertion lengths (120, 160, 225, 325 and 425 mm) cover stirred-tank, BioBench, BioPilot and AppliFlex ST single-use vessels, with autoclave sterilisation to 130 °C, ± 5 mbar accuracy in the 5–100 mbar bioprocess range, and validated compatibility with Applikon Livit Flex, ez2-Control, my-Control and in-Control bioprocess controllers.

 A closer look at the Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor.

The Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor brings non-dispersive infrared CO₂ measurement directly into the bioreactor — and bundles the entire signal chain into the sensor head. The Arc smart-sensor architecture means the transmitter electronics, calibration data and sensor diagnostics all live on the probe itself; the cable simply carries ModBus to the controller. For cell culture and microbial fermentation alike, that translates to a single connection, a single point of calibration, and a continuous direct read of dissolved CO₂ — no equilibrator, no off-gas inference, no sampling delay.

Hamilton — the digital Arc sensor platform.

The Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor is engineered by Hamilton, a global leader in process analytical sensors with a particularly strong reputation in pH, DO and CO₂ instrumentation for biopharmaceutical, food and life-science applications. The Arc platform — Hamilton’s flagship smart-sensor architecture — integrates the transmitter into the sensor itself, so each probe carries its own electronics, calibration data and diagnostic intelligence. The result is a sensor that talks ModBus directly to your controller, with no external transmitter box in between.

NDIR optics for direct CO₂ measurement.

The Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor measures dissolved CO₂ using non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) spectroscopy. CO₂ in the bioreactor medium equilibrates across a gas-permeable membrane into the sensor’s internal measurement cavity, where it absorbs a specific infrared wavelength; the absorption is measured against an internal solid-state reference, and the result is converted directly into dissolved CO₂ concentration in mg/L, %-vol or mbar units. The measurement range spans 5–1000 mbar (or 7.5–1500 mg/L at 101.3 kPa, 25 °C), with ± 5 mbar accuracy in the 5–100 mbar window and 5 % accuracy above 100 mbar — the bioprocess-relevant ranges.

Because NDIR is an optical method, the measurement is inherently drift-low and doesn’t depend on electrolyte chemistry. There’s no reference electrolyte to refresh, no membrane chemistry to replace as a planned maintenance step — the sensor’s service profile looks different from anything electrochemical.

One sensor across the Applikon family

The CO₂NTROL Arc is available in five insertion lengths covering every Applikon vessel format from benchtop through pilot scale — and shares the same 12 mm diameter, PG 13.5 thread, VP8 connector and standardised port across the entire range. 

At lab scale.

  1. 1 Applikon Autoclavable Glass Bioreactor (2 – 20 L) for process development.
  2. 2 AppliFlex ST (2 L – 15 L) single-use stirred-tank.

At bench and pilot scale.

  1. 1 BioBench (20 – 30 L) for cGMP-grade development.
  2. 2 BioPilot (30 – 270 L) for clinical and small-commercial production.

The CO2 sensor is with the Arc protocol compatible with every Applikon controller in our range — Livit Flex, ez2-Control, my-Control and in-Control. Process knowledge built at the bench transfers cleanly upward through the Applikon family without changing the sensor technology.

A direct, sample-free read on dissolved CO₂

What distinguishes the Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor from indirect CO₂ inference methods is that you actually measure the dissolved gas — not estimate it from off-gas concentration or pH-bicarbonate equilibrium calculations. Dissolved CO₂ matters for product quality (CO₂ inhibits growth at elevated levels in mammalian cell culture; bicarbonate balance affects pH stability; sparging strategy depends on actual dissolved-gas concentration), and the only way to control it tightly is to measure it directly.

The NDIR principle is also inherently fast: equilibration across the gas-permeable membrane is the rate-limiting step, and that response is well under a minute. For fed-batch processes where CO₂ accumulation can shift mid-run, this means the controller sees the change in time to react — not minutes later when the off-gas eventually catches up.

Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc Sensor

Smart Arc diagnostics — sensor health at a glance.

The Arc platform puts the transmitter electronics inside the sensor head. That has two operational consequences worth highlighting.
First, no external transmitter: the cable runs from the sensor directly to the controller’s ModBus input. No transmitter box on the bench, no signal-conversion module, no extra rack space, no analog-to-digital conversion error introduced between sensor and controller.

Second, on-board diagnostics: the sensor monitors its own health — light-source intensity, calibration validity, temperature compensation status, and other internal parameters — and reports the status continuously to the controller. If a calibration is drifting or the light source is approaching end-of-life, you know about it before the data does.

For sites operating multiple bioreactors, this matters at fleet level: the controller sees sensor health across every vessel, and predictive maintenance becomes a data-driven decision rather than a scheduled assumption.

Key features

What you get with the CO₂NTROL Arc

Direct NDIR measurement of dissolved CO₂, on-board Arc Intelligence, and native auto-detection on every Applikon controller in the Resea range — built for cell culture, microbial fermentation and pilot-scale workflows from AppliFlex ST 500 mL through BioPilot.

Dissolved CO₂ is the variable that pH-only control loops can’t infer directly. The CO₂NTROL Arc reads it at the source — non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) absorption of the dissolved CO₂ in the medium, not derived from off-gas measurement and not back-calculated from pH drift. The signal lands in the 5–1000 mbar bioprocess window with ± 5 mbar accuracy, accurate enough for closed-loop gas-flow control during high-OUR microbial phases and tight enough for the 50–150 mbar mammalian cell culture range where glycosylation and titer are at stake.

Architecturally, the CO₂NTROL Arc is part of the same Hamilton Arc platform as the EasyFerm Plus Arc, VisiFerm DO₂, Incyte Arc and Dencytee Arc — integrated transmitter inside the sensor head, on-board calibration storage that travels with the probe through every vessel transfer, and ArcAir for fleet-wide diagnostics across the full Hamilton Arc sensor set. Native Modbus Arc integration on every Applikon controller in the Resea range means the sensor is auto-detected by Arc ID on connection — no separate transmitter box, no analog conversion error, no parallel sensor-management software stack.

Core capabilities.

  • Direct NDIR measurement of dissolved CO₂ — 5–1000 mbar range, ± 5 mbar accuracy in the bioprocess window, no off-gas inference required.
  • Arc smart-sensor architecture — built-in transmitter, on-board calibration storage, real-time sensor diagnostics; no external transmitter box, no analog conversion error.
  • Modbus Arc digital communication — direct integration with Applikon Livit Flex, ez2-Control, my-Control and in-Control; auto-detection on connection.
  • Five insertion lengths, autoclavable to 130 °C — covers AppliFlex ST 500 mL through BioPilot pilot scale; PG 13.5 thread fits standard third-party vessels too.

Spec your CO₂NTROL Arc with Resea Biotec. 

The Hamilton CO₂NTROL Arc is the direct dissolved CO₂ sensor for cell culture and microbial fermentation workflows where pH-only control loops can’t read what the cells actually experience. NDIR absorption measurement in the 5–1000 mbar range with ± 5 mbar accuracy in the bioprocess window, Arc Intelligence with calibration history stored on-board, and native auto-detection on every Applikon controller in the Resea range — Livit Flex, ez2-Control, my-Control and in-Control. Available in five insertion lengths (120 / 160 / 225 / 325 / 425 mm) covering AppliFlex ST 500 mL through to BioPilot pilot scale.

For dissolved CO₂ data to add value to your process, it needs to integrate cleanly into the controller you already run — and the Arc sensor’s auto-detection makes that straightforward across the full Applikon controller family. Resea Biotec is the Swiss distribution and service partner for Hamilton bioprocess sensors — based in Recherswil, supporting customers across Switzerland with technical support and on-site service.

Talk to our team and we’ll spec the right CO₂NTROL Arc insertion length for your vessel, confirm Arc compatibility with your controller fleet, advise on the calibration gas workflow (zero-point and span-point gases for your operating range), coordinate ArcAir deployment where required, and stay on hand for application advice and maintenance support throughout the sensor’s life. Whether you’re adding dissolved CO₂ measurement to a mammalian cell culture line where glycosylation control matters, building out high-OUR microbial fermentation with closed-loop gas-flow PID, or extending an existing Hamilton Arc sensor fleet with the dissolved CO₂ complement — we’ll help you spec the right combination end to end.

Contact us
CTA Background

Looking for the Right Bioprocess Solution?

Our specialists support you throughout the entire bioprocess lifecycle — from system selection and application design to implementation, optimization, and long-term operation. We work closely with you to ensure reliable, compliant, and scalable solutions tailored to your requirements.

Talk to Our Experts

Scientific Solutions Start Here

Reach out to discuss innovative approaches for your project.

Steinacker 15 CH-4565 Recherswil
+41 34 531 08 20
[email protected]
UID: CHE-166.210.273
Contact Form EN